Fuse



April 18, 195o w. SUMMERBELL 2,504,163

FUSE

Filed Aug. 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwoon/vrou Willi Elm 'Ummelbeu WMWMJLMW April 18, 1950 w. suMMERBELL FUSE Filed Aug. 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O 4 o w m M M a 7 mv* 4 4 m. mw F 5 ,u W /6 5 5/ 40 9 .2; ,WU 2 422 24 @4 W111i am Eumrnelh EH Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UN I TED-` STAT ES G'FFIYC E FUSE William Smnrnerbell,y Washingtom-D. .0.; Mat1v Summerbell executrix of. said William,4

Summerbell, deceased Application August 22, 1946,'Serial`Nof6921543t (CI `.l02`-75)I (Granted under the act ofMarch 3, 1883fas`lv amended April 30, 1928; 370 O.`"G.757')" 2 Claims.

Tlie'invention described herein may be manufaetured (and used -by orffor the Government forI jeetil'e; .andfatthelsame time be ableto with- Stand'rough vhandling of'lthe shell withoutvrislc` tot: premature;arnnng,H unlessl` externally con` trolledsafety devices requiring adjustment be-V forefringffwere' installed.Y The use or necessity-f for such safety"devices has been eliminatedlinf# myl invention:

The p'riniary'ooiect-ofv my invention isitoprovid'ef'fanlirnpact fune-of the character described which..hasfmechanical means for delaying the exploding loftlie primer charge, and in which all externally controlled safety devices requiri'ngsad# just'ment before rin'g are eliminated. v

A" further'object of my invention isy to providef'afuzef-iniwhichthe `danger of accidental# armingf'eithen fromlrougnhandling orfv the vprojectile.lbeforefr-inggjv orffrom set back forces set@ is elimi-` upwwithin': theffuze itself after ring, nateda.`

A still further object of my invention is vtoiprovideaifuzewhich isboth' simple in construe-1- tiong: .andz velcientrin operation; D

Other; objects l andA advantages'Y of vthe invention reside in the construction andtarrangementcfparts'involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, forming part-of the specication, wherein similar numbers are used t indicate the same part throughv` out the specication and drawings. drawings.

In these Figurev 1 is a broken fragmentary section view.-

of..an'artillery projectile, showing the inventiony infplace,

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sections of a fuzer embodying the invention and illustrate the cpv-- eration of the fuze.

Figure 5 is a broken fragmentary section of a modication of fitleinventionwith delaying elenient omitted.

Figures is a transverse Vsection of the fuze,"

takenron line'B-Scof Fi'gureZ," with theV trigger shown inthe unarmed position, and

Figure I7 is a fragmentary sectional lview lof 'are modied Aform Iofthe delaying element.

Referring nowin detail to the accompanyin'g*=` drawings, and in particular-to Figures 1 through 4, the numeral' 3 'indicates generally an artillery* projectile" fixed ina cartridge case A9 and have ingTr a steel -body Ing-'a burstin'g'charge c0n tained Awithin a cavity provided in the said-body?- a rotating band I2- whereby the-projectile `is 'ro-'- tatedin flight, and a VIoa'sefplugl I3. Thefpluv'glv |33 is externally threaded as at- I 4'9- for* att'a'chmen to the steel body I0, land a` boredcavity "|550 multiple diameter; internally threaded asfatA II? isprovided for a'purpose whichwill be -her`ei after explained. The' base plug 'I3'is-also -pro"-\ vided with a smallerrear-cavity Il to receive a tracer pellet I8.`

The numeral l I 9 designates generally the f'ze'l orV applicants invention which is shown in Fig'fure 1 positioned-Within the cavity I5"provided4l for this purpose-'in base-plug I3. It-has a hollow'ff steel body or housingcomprising VAarear or culv-A section 20 havingfa rear portiony of smaller diam#A eter than its-forward portionand' adapted to 'ilyf snugly inthe smaller'diametered'inner portion of the cavity I5 in the` base plug I3.,`an`d a rfront or cap sectonZI;

A ringpin 22- isvheldffirmly withinf-tlrefe smallerv diametered `por-tion off cuplsection'c2 IIbyfff pressure or the sidewalls of said section; Iti is positioned adjacentlth'e bottom of the cavityf-` I5,ts forward movement being arrestedbyanf; annular shoulder 23 formed in the said side wallslf Thelfrontcr cap section-'2l is formedv witliafvv partition 2II4 intermediate its ends-'to divide--tle said cap 2 I intotwoseparate cavities;l A -forward cavity 25 houses a -detonator charge 26-which 'is retained-within thefsaid cavityr byaavthrealdedl* screwlplug 21' providedwith asvent or opening-4 28 communicatingxwithithe burstingfcharge' I I The diameter of-'the larger rearL cavityf`297'is1-' the same as the inner diameter Vof the larger. forward' portion of` cup section 25'?- Sre threads 36"'are providedvv about lthe outer periph@ eryof cap section- 2Iltov engage the threads'f I6 formed Yin the -baseplu'gl-LI3; and a flame ventfl is provided in partition 24 for passagesofname-1` betweenfthe said 'cavities-25and- 29.`

Aecylindrical'`y collar 32; preferably'- made orf brass, is posit-ioned'within the passage orme'df by the cavity4`29 andthe forward inrie'rfportion?V of` cup 2B;l thesaid` collar being ofl a. slightly"L smaller outer" diameter 'than the Y inner diameters of -saidassagef--so ithat it may'moveeasilyfo wal-rdf throughlsaldi'passage-A upon *impact*o fffthef\=.= projectiles 'aga'instth'eftarget. Rarward movement of said collar upon setback is prevented by the annular shoulder on cup 20. The collar 32 is provided with a, hole 33 into which is forced a metal pin 3.4 strongenough to withstand rough handling ofthe projectile before loading in the gun but which will collapse or shear upon impact of the projectile against a target. The pin 34 engages within a recess 35 formed in a curved or Wishbone trigger 36 to hold the said trigger 36 in an unarmed position so long as the said trigger 3B remains in engagement with a cylindrical primer charge holder 31 in a circumferential groove 38 formed in the surface of the holder 31 and shaped to iit the contour of the trigger 38.

Primer charge holder 31 is arranged with axial bores 39 and 49 at opposite ends thereof, the said bores 39 and 40 being connected by a centrally disposed smaller diametered bore 4l. The bore 39, at the end of the holder 31 facing the firing pin 22, is closed by a threaded screw plug 42, forming a cavity within the said bore which houses a conventional primer charge 43. A centrally disposed small bore 44 provides a passage therethrough for the firing pin 22 in making contact with primer charge 43. Bore 40, at the other end of holder 31, is left open permitting it to slide over a cylindrical delay sleeve 45, the said delay sleeve 45 being slightly tapered so that it will fit within the said bore 40 and be held therein by friction. A compressible coil spring 46 is disposed within the` axial bore 41 of the sleeve 45 and held in slight compression between the bottom of bore 48 and the partition 24. The function of the said spring 46 will be later explained.

The operation of the fuze is as follows: While the projectile is in flight after iiring, the fuze remains in an unarmed condition since pin 34 is not affected by setback forces. However, the force of inertia upon impact overcomes the resistance of pin 34 and it is sheared. Collar 32, freed from the restraint of the said pin 34, continues forward within the fuze, releasing the trigger 36 from its engagement within groove 38 in holder 31. Holder 31 moves forward upon the tapered end of delay sleeve 45 against the restraint of the spring 46 and is held frictionally thereon. These members remain locked in such delaying position and prevent contact between the primer charge 43 and iiring pin 22 during deceleration of the projectile. When deceleration ceases, the primer charge holder 31 containingthe primer charge 43, with the delay sleeve 45 .frictionally attached thereto, is forced rearwardly by the releasing energy of the spring 45 until the ring pin 22 strikes and ignites the said primer charge after passing through the bore 44 in screw plug 42. The rearward movement of the holder 31 is slow and sluggish because of the added weight of the frictionally attached delay sleeve, thus increasing the delaying action of the fuze. The name from the ignited primer 43 passes through bores 4I and 40, explodes the detonator 26 in cavity 25, and the explosive force of the said detonator is transmitted through the opening 28 to the bursting charge in the body of the projectile.

In Figure 7, the numeral 48 shows another form of delay sleeve wherein a shoulder 49, with set-back, has been substituted in lieu of the taper of delay sleeve 45 already described. In operation, delay sleeve 48 functions in the same manner as delay sleeve 45 heretofore described.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure the delay sleeve has been entirely omitted. The effect of omitting the sleeve is the elimination of the added delaying action, and the fuze of this embodiment will function with less delay upon impact against a target. In all other respects the operation of the fuze will be as heretofore described.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A base detonating fuze having a movable cylindrical holder for its primer charge, said holder being circumferentially grooved intermediate its ends and held in an unarmed position by a Wishbone shaped trigger in said groove, a restraining collar embracing said trigger with a sliding fit and held thereon by shearable means to release the trigger upon impact; a delaying sleeve longitudinally aligned with said holder, said sleeve having a tapered end normally partially inserted in said holder, said holder and sleeve telescoping upon impact and remaining immovable during deceleration; a compressiblev coil spring, housed within a bore of the delay sleeve to force the sleeve and primer charge .holder rearward against a ring pin fixed in the body of the fuze.

2. A base detonating fuze comprising a cylindrical body having reduced elongated ends forming transverse vertical walls and a chamber therebetween, one of said ends having a firing pin fixed therein, the other of said ends housing a detonator, a bored primer charge holder circumferentially grooved intermediate its ends positioned in said chamber, said holder having a primer charge end in slidable engagement with the one of said ends, the opposite end of said holder being internally tapered and in slidable. engagement with the externally tapered surface of a bored delay sleeve releasably seated in the wall of said other end, a spring within the bore of said holder and said delay sleeve resiliently spacing said holder and said delay sleeve, a U- shaped trigger in said circumferential groove, said trigger embraced by a collar in shearable relationship, said collar moving forward and disengaging said trigger upon impact, said trigger moving radially out of said groove, said holder moving forward to frictionally engage the tapered surface of said delay sleeve and to compress said spring, said spring returning said holder and sleeve after deceleration to impinge said primer charge upon said firing pin.

WILLIAM SUMMERBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thev file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,327,037 Guerritore Jan. 6 1920 1,687,341 Lukens Oct. 9, 1928 1,850,042 Wennerstrom Mar. 15, 1932 y 1,852,951 Auriol Apr. 5, 1932 1,865,802 Towner July 5, 1932l FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country A Date 28,306 Great Britain of 1908 

